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Tile paint, a new vanity and replacement taps were used to help refresh a tired second bathroom and seperate toilet.
The project
We recently downsized from a large house in a coastal area to the country and love our new location. With Christmas coming up and guests coming too, the second bathroom and toilet were very tired and badly in need of a simple and cost-effective revamp.
Steps
Step 1
First, give some thought to the scope of work! We didn’t, so what was initially going to be a paint job turned into more of a makeover, so we didn’t quite do things in the right order! Having said that...
Step 2
Prepare the floor and walls. Initially we wanted to repaint the wall and floor tiles but after prepping the floor and cleaning the walls , decided against the wall tile job in the bathroom because they were an inoffensive colour/design and cleaned up well. The row of tiles in the toilet was painted with the same colour as the floor.
We used mould killer and steel wool to clean both wall and floor tiles and also sugar soaped it. The sugar soap wipes are super handy too. This was a time consuming process but worth it!
Step 3
Primed the floor tiles (we did the adjacent toilet as well) using the Dulux product and carefully followed instructions.
Step 4
Leave to dry for at least 24 hours, then did the cutting in and coating with Dulux tile paint in vivid white. We then re-coated after 24 hours. The result was okay, just a bit too vivid! It looked a bit like an operating theatre! Here’s the toilet as an example of how it looked after...
Step 5
Decide to replace the vanity, it has had it, and the tapware, which is definitely past its use by date. So back to Bunnings! We have decided to replace, not redo, which makes it pretty much a straight swap. The Mondello vanity is exactly the same size as the old one plus it has two drawers which I prefer to doors. It is floor standing, too. It’s hard to find anything else like it as a lot these days are wall hung plus the price is great!
The tapware by Caroma is simple and perfect for the job and price. We removed the existing vanity by prizing the silicone away from the wall with a Stanley knife and removed the doors. We carefully disconnected the plumbing; the taps, spout, and the under sink connections - the water was off, of course. Doing this damaged the paint a little, so think before you start your project!
Step 6
Replaced the old under sink plumbing due to the drawer design with a flex pipe and replaced the old s-bend and trap, which needed to be cut out to fit the new basin top. Sealed the pipes with a PVC pipe glue and siliconed around them. Fitted the basin and siliconed everything into place. The taps proved more challenging to shift as they were very old and were leaking too! Did the shower taps - the shower head is a chrome handheld and looked okay as were the towel rails, so we kept those. The bath taps and spout were on special order so... back to Bunnings!
Step 7
Picked up the special order of the bath taps and spout, and more paint. Vivid white was not right! Due to the damage caused by the installation of the vanity we bought another tin of Dulux tile paint, this time in antique white. Installed bath tap ware and a new light in both the toilet and bathroom. A more contemporary exhaust fan in the bathroom then re-cleaned and painted the toilet and bathroom... much better! Again, we left it for 24 hours before the next step...
Step 8
Using a tile stencil and brush (a roller is the best approach, but my stencil was very basic and large) I painted the toilet using the Dulux contrast colour tile paint in tea house. I think it came out really well! Very hard to get right around the toilet pedestal, and it took a lot of time overall, but it made a very bland space look sensational!
Step 9
Over the new vanity was a very tall wall hung mirror, which we flipped upside down (it was hung too high to actually look into before). Finally the bathroom floor. I think the paint will be quite durable here but I have done the shower floor and warning you that Dulux does not recommend this product for showers. It will do though and looks so much better. So far, so good, it is intact. Eventually we will retile and renovate in this space, but for a bit more than $1200 it has come up a treat. You can see the replacement light and exhaust here, again, a straightforward switch out. The shower curtain is linen and was adjusted to fit as the drop is quite short.
Tools and materials
Materials used in the project:
- Dulux tile paint
- Caroma bath, shower and basin tapware
- Mondello Rococo vanity and basin top 600mm
- Flexible hosing
- Martec exhaust fan
- Verve LED ceiling light
- Sugar soap
- Sugar soap wipes
- Mould remover
- Steel wool.
Tools used in the project:
- Silicone gun
- Fixed blade knife
- Paintbrushes
- Paint rollers
- Vacuum cleaner
- Ladder
- Screwdriver
- Stencils
- Shifters
- Drill.
More inspiration for your bathroom makeover
Bunnings Workshop member daniknight4 completed a budget bathroom makeover using paint and a new benchtop and sink.
Community member naz1 undertook a D.I.Y. budget bathroom renovation with new vanity unit, mirror, tiles and shower.
Get more inspiration from our Top 10 most popular bathroom projects and 10 budget bathroom makeovers.
